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XXIV Olympiad |
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Written by Micheal Green
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Friday, 08 August 2008 |
The XXIV Olympiad…….20 years later
 With the Beijing Olympics starting, the memories and emotions come flooding back. For 20 years ago, I earned the title “Olympian”.
While watching the Olympic Trials on TV and looking through Sports Illustrated I feel so detached from what these elite athletes have accomplished and are going to experience in Beijing. Yet, just 20 years ago, and not to far away in Seoul, South Korea, I was one of those athletes competing in one of the marquee events at the worlds greatest sporting event – swimming. I was one of the lucky ones, went to trials, hoping for the best, probably one of those, of which there were many, with an outside chance of making the team. Loe and behold, at the end of the final, I was on the team. As I mentioned, it really seems like a dream. Something that happened to me; it was an amazing experience, but sometimes I can’t really believe it. Maybe it’s the time gone by, or maybe it really was a dream. BUT, the photo’s, videos, competitors medals/certificates, and memorabilia confirm it: I was there!
Over the past 20 years, two questions are asked of me, repeatedly: “Did you get a medal?” No, I didn’t get a medal, I was one of the ninety plus percent of athletes who fill up the event. Typically I get the follow-up response “well, at least you got to go!” Yeah, my comiseration prize was a full expenses trip to the world greatest sporting spectacular – plus I got to compete! The other question people ask is: “What was it like?” Well, it was an phenominal experience (from what I remember – ha ha). Immediately, after trials, we met as a team for a two week training camp, then proceeded to complete two more abroad. We returned home for a few days, then off to Seoul we flew. We arrived as one of the first teams at the Olympic Village, roughly two weeks prior to the opening ceremony, to get acclimatized, and slowly, the rest of the world joined us. The village was a fun place, everyone in a good mood, rubbing shoulders with superstars, plus everything you can imagine was avaialble. For example, the corporations who were worldwide sponsors, like Coca-Cola, provided their products for all competitors to use: there were Coke machines everywhere. All venues were open to those with “credentials”, so to see the world’s greatest athletes competing for the elusive Olympic Gold was awesome.
Over the next 17 days, NBC will show all of the US gold medal events, countless interviews with Michael Phelps and a continued focus on those who win, and if they don’t, we sometimes think they failed. Remember the athletes we don’t see, the comiseration prize winners. They are there too. Hopefully having the memories of a lifetime, competing at their highest level and maintaining the realization that sometimes childhood dreams really did come true.
Michael
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